As a preliminary step toward diagnosing the operating states of a molding machine, well known is a method for monitoring the operating states by collecting the data to be monitored that relates to operating conditions when the molding machine is in operation. For instance, conventional monitoring systems for a molding machine to carry out such a method are disclosed in Japanese Patent Early-Publications Nos. 2001-293540 and 2002-263793. Respective systems transmit data that is actually measured by sensors disposed in the molding machine when it is in operation to a monitoring unit in a remote place through a communication line. The monitoring unit displays the data on its display. The data to be monitored is data concerning an air pressure profile and processing times in one cycle of the molding process of the molding machine. The measured data is stored in a computer with a CSV (Comma Separated Value) file for every cycle.
In the conventional monitoring systems, however, the diagnosing suitability of operating states (whether or not the measured data is within the tolerance) of the molding machine relies on human judgment. Therefore, an inspector must repeatedly inspect the measured data of one of a plurality of CSV files from a monitor output or a printed output of a computer, and compare this separately with reference data or optimum data (typically, it is collected when the molding machine is in a trial operation and set up) based on the inspector's judgment. Among other things, the data on the pressure profile involves a difficulty in appropriately diagnosing it by comparing the measured data with the reference data, unless the inspector is experienced and skilled in pressure profile diagnoses. Further, it is extremely difficult to make a diagnosis, considering the varying parameters of each product to be molded, such as preset pressure conditions, pressurization time, etc.
In practice, it is very difficult by a manual operation and by an inspector's judgment to repeat a diagnosis without omitting necessary data from a huge number of files, and to avoid variations due to an inspector's skill.
Accordingly, developing a method and a system for automatically diagnosing operating states of a molding machine is considered essential for its efficient operation.
The need for such a method and a system is not limited to the molding machine, and exists, e.g., in a pressing machine that performs a pressing operation based on the preset pressure profile.